development of a rapid windshield damage assessment

Running head: DEVELOPMENT OF A RAPID DAMAGE ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE 1

Development of a Rapid Windshield Damage Assessment

Standard Operating Guideline for the

Bedford, NH Fire Department

Mark E. Klose

Bedford, NH Fire Department

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Certification Statement

I hereby certify that this paper constitutes my own product, that where the language of

others is set forth, quotations marks so indicate, and that appropriate credit is given where I have

used the language, ideas, expressions or writings of another.

Signed and dated: ______________________________________

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Abstract

The problem was that the Bedford Fire Department (BFD) did not have a Standard Operating

Guideline (SOG) that addressed how and when, fire and ems companies conducted a rapid

windshield damage assessment to evaluate the destruction to the town and residential

infrastructure, caused by a disaster. Fire and ems companies were being dispatched throughout

the community during a disaster, without knowing the details of the damages which other crews

may have recognized but did not have a method in which to pass along the information.

Additional resources were also delayed due to the lack of a timely reporting system.

The purpose of this applied research project was to research, develop and implement a

Rapid Windshield Damage Assessment (RWDA) Standard Operating Guideline (SOG).

Research was utilized to examine current practices from fire departments and private businesses

around the country and determine how their standard of operation may be applied to Bedford. An

action research model was utilized to answer the following research questions: What is a disaster

to a community? What is a damage assessment? Why is it important to conduct a damage

assessment? How do other fire departments conduct damage assessments? What information is

documented and used to record the damage assessment? Finally, what type of training do

Bedford fire personnel need to be provided, in order to accurately conduct a RWDA?

The procedures utilized in the research included a review of literature, applied research

projects, journal articles, internet websites, state and federal documents, personal interviews and

questionnaire surveys. The results indicated that man-made and natural disasters impacted the

Town of Bedford, and that there was a need for a process to quickly gather information to

determine the initial needs of the community.

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The recommendation is to develop, implement a rapid windshield damage assessment

SOG for BFD.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Certification of Statement…………………….………………………………………… 2

Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………. 3

Table of Contents…………………………………………………………….…………. 5

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………... 6

Background and Significance…………………………………………………………... 7

Literature Review………………………………………………………………….……. 11

Procedures…………………………………………………………………………....…. 21

Results…………………………………………………………………………………... 26

Discussion………………………………………………………………………………. 32

Recommendations………………………………………………………………………. 35

References………………………………………………………………………………. 38

Appendix A: Letter to Survey Participants.……………………………………...……... 42

Appendix B: New Hampshire Fire Department Survey Results.…………………..…... 43

Appendix C: Out of State Fire Department Survey Results.………………………...…. 56

Appendix D: Bedford Fire Department Rapid Windshield Damage Assessment SOG... 67

Appendix E: NH Homeland Security & Emergency Management PDA for IA Form…. 69

Appendix F: NH Homeland Security & Emergency Management PDA for PA Form… 70

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Introduction

The problem is that the Bedford Fire Department (BFD) does not use any type of

organized, rapid damage assessment process or Standard Operating Guideline (SOG) for

assessing damage caused by a major weather event or disaster. While disasters are occurring,

Bedford Fire and EMS companies are being dispatched to fire and medical emergencies, along

with “calls for service”, without knowing the extent of infrastructure damage within the town.

Life safety hazards and infrastructure damage may have already been identified by previous

crews yet there exists no quick and efficient method to identify, report, track and follow up on

damage caused by a disaster. This creates a possibility of injury or death to its firefighters and

citizens.

By failing to rapidly identify hazards and the emergent needs of the community during

and after a major weather event or disaster, the Town of Bedford (TOB) is not able to determine

the proper local and state resources necessary to effectively mitigate any life-threatening

situations or immediate hazards.

The purpose of this applied research project is to develop an SOG which will include

rapid windshield damage assessment (RWDA) forms for the Bedford Fire Department. This

SOG will address how to conduct a RWDA for engine and EMS companies during and after a

major weather event or disaster within the department’s response districts.

In an effort to determine the details within an RWDA SOG, the following research

questions were answered: What is a disaster to a community? What is a damage assessment?

Why is it important to conduct a damage assessment? How do other fire departments conduct

damage assessments? What information is documented and used to record the damage

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assessment? Finally, what type of training do Bedford fire personnel need to be provided, in

order to accurately conduct a RWDA?

An action research model was used to complete this ARP with the goal of implementing

the policy and having personnel utilize the RWDA form.

Background and Significance

The Town of Bedford is located within Hillsborough County and covers 32.8

square miles. Bedford has a residential population of 21,146 (2007 US census) and a

daily business, commuter population of 80,000. Bedford is a highly developed, suburban

community located just west of the largest city in the State, Manchester, NH. Bedford is

bound on the east by the Merrimack River (which separates Bedford from Manchester),

by the Town of Merrimack to the south, by the towns of Amherst and New Boston to the

west, and the Town of Goffstown and the City of Manchester to the north. Bedford is 54

miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. (Municipal Resource Incorporated [MRI]

December (2005, p.10)

In October of 2005, southwestern and south central New Hampshire (NH) experienced

extensive flooding that severely impacted the southwestern part of the state, especially the town

of Alstead. Alstead, NH was one of the hardest communities hit. Seven people were killed, and

36 homes were destroyed. In thirty hours, 12 inches of rain fell, making it the wettest month in

NH weather history to date, with 14.5 inches total rainfall in the month. Experts called the flood

a “once-in-100-years event.” (URSG 2008)

Then, in May of 2006, seven months later, New Hampshire, particularly south central and

southeastern portions of the state, experienced rainfalls that have not been seen or recorded in

over 70 years. Most communities in Southern NH were devastated by the flooding of yet another

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“once-in-100-year storm”. In April of 2007, only 11 months later, south central and southeastern

New Hampshire was devastated by floods after enduring heavy rainfall amounts. New

Hampshire suffered a third “100-year storm” in only 19 months. (URSG 2008) Flooding, not

only in Bedford but in surrounding communities, displaced citizens, damaged homes, damaged

or destroyed infrastructure, disrupted transportation, hindered emergency responses and caused

severe economic impact to the communities with damages estimated in the millions. Both the

May 2006 and April 2007 weather events lead to presidential declared disasters ("FEMA: DR-

1643," 2011 and "FEMA: DR-1695," 2011).

In August 2008, the Lakes Region of NH experienced a very rare but powerful tornado.

The tornado traveled 52 miles through several communities and five different counties. One

civilian death was caused by the tornado. Governor Lynch asked President Bush to declare a

presidential declaration ("FEMA: DR-1782," 2011).

Weather conditions during the evening of December 11th and into the early hours of

December 12th, 2008, brought the start of one of the most significant disasters experienced by

the State of New Hampshire in its history. An initial snow storm that eventually changed into a

significant ice storm, totaling two inches of ice in some areas, impacted the public and utility

infrastructure causing power outages in 211 of the 234 municipalities and land grants within the

state. At its peak, over 400,000 customers (over two-thirds of the population of NH) were

without power and/or communications. The incident, which extended for over three weeks, saw

freezing temperatures with below zero wind-chills, two significant snowfalls, power and

communication outages lasting for weeks, and tragically, the loss of four lives (New Hampshire

Department of Safety Homeland Security & Emergency Management [NHHSEM], 2009).

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In February/March 2010 a major Nor’easter Windstorm came across New England

causing significant damage. Wind gusts throughout NH crested near or above 60 miles per hour,

bringing down thousands of trees that blocked roadways and caused extensive damage to power

lines and equipment. Flooding also occurred in some areas. Although the February/March 2010

wind storm was similar in intensity to other wind storms that have hit New Hampshire in recent

years, it varied in one important way: it struck hardest in the most densely populated areas of the

state (PSNH 2010).

It was during this storm that a BFD engine crew experienced a near miss incident. The

crew was responding to a fire alarm activation. En route, they encountered a blocked road due to

fallen trees. As the engine company stopped the vehicle, a second tree fell to the rear thus

trapping the vehicle. The senior officer called back to dispatch for assistance and while waiting

for help, another tree fell onto the apparatus, nearly missing the occupants who had only

moments earlier, evacuated the vehicle. At this time, BFD did not have any method to report

details of damage caused by a disaster. Had there been some process in place, this crew may

have had prior knowledge of the road closures due to trees that had fallen.

In August of 2011, Tropical Storm Irene hit New Hampshire once again, causing

flooding and power outages to the southern portion of the state. Governor Lynch asked President

Obama for a pre-landfall declaration as he (Lynch) felt that the hurricane would hit New

Hampshire and overwhelm the resources of the state and local municipalities. Lynch’s prior

experience with disasters lead him to believe that Federal Assistance was going to be necessary

to save lives and property (Lynch, 2011).

Throughout all of the above mentioned disasters, the BFD did not have a damage

identification and assessment SOG, nor did it provide training for its personnel in the area of

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determining the criteria for a disaster as well as calculating damage assessments. At this time,

damage assessments are conducted by the Bedford Fire Chief, with little to no input from the line

personnel who are responding to emergencies during and after the severe weather conditions.

After each significant weather event since 2005, the Bedford Fire Chief traveled throughout the

community in his command vehicle to assess the damage. Though comprehensive, this method

of gathering information was generally done after the storm had passed. Any information

gathered by the Chief, was often not sufficiently passed along to the crews who were responding

to emergencies while the weather event was happening. This created instances where the

responding crew had been put in dangerous, yet avoidable situations created by life hazards.

With the implementation of the proposed SOG, the Bedford Fire Department has an

opportunity to change the way the organization responds to these types of major weather

events/incidents. By developing a Rapid Windshield Damage Assessment Standard Operating

Guideline and training the appropriate personnel to implement it, the BFD will be better prepared

to respond to emergency incidents during and after significant local weather situations. With

properly trained personnel, the Bedford Fire Department will be able to obtain timely, pertinent

damage information, and provide significant damage data to the TOB Emergency Operations

Center (EOC). Disaster damage assessments are vital to helping fire, rescue and ems crews to

avoid life hazard areas that have been identified. They are also valuable in assisting the Governor

of NH in requesting federal assistance under the Robert T. Strafford Disaster Relief and

Emergency Assistance Act. This resource allows local communities to receive federal assistance

in response to a executive disaster declaration.

This Applied Research Project (ARP) is related to Unit 4: Damage Assessment in the

National Fire Academy’s (NFA) Executive Analysis of Fire Service Operations in Emergency

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Management (EAFSOEM) Student Manual. This ARP also relates and supports two of the

United States Fire Administration (USFA) strategic goals: Improve local planning and

preparedness, and improve the fire and emergency services’ capability for response to and

recovery from all hazards ("EFOP Operational Policies," 2011, p. II-2). A Rapid Windshield

Damage Assessment SOG would help to achieve this goal for BFD.

Literature Review

The literature review revealed a common understanding of what defines a disaster and

highlighted some significant details of a damage assessment that should be understood and

practiced. The fact sheets, professional journals, print sources, applied research projects (ARP)

and internet websites helped to answer the following research questions: What is a disaster to a

community? What is a damage assessment? Why is it important to conduct a damage

assessment? How do other fire departments conduct damage assessments? What information is

documented and used to record the damage assessment? Finally, what type of training do

Bedford fire personnel need to be provided, in order to accurately conduct a RWDA? How

private businesses handled disasters was also examined in an effort to gain further insight into

damage assessment outside of the fire service.

A disaster is a natural or man-made hazard that has come to fruition, resulting in

an event of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of

life, or drastic change to the environment. A disaster can be ostensively defined as any

tragic event with great loss stemming from events such as earthquake, floods,

catastrophic accident, fires, or explosions ("Wikipedia 2011," 2011).

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies defines a disaster

to be a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or

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society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that exceed the

community’s or society’s ability to cope using its own resources. Though often caused by nature,

disasters can have human origins ("IFRCRCS," 2011).

In the private sector, Wallace and Webber (2004) identified a disaster for a business as

the loss of a critical piece of equipment due to a natural disaster (fire, tornado, blizzard)

destroying an entire facility. Every business should have a “business continuity plan”, so a

company can quickly recover when a disaster strikes. Wells, Walker and Walker (2007)

identified a disaster for a business as ranging from a failure to a piece of equipment (mailing

machine, computer system/server, or phone system) to a total destruction of a building through

natural and or man-made disasters. Business or organizations must have a disaster plan in place

for continuity of business.

According to Dosi (2001) disasters can be divided into two groups: natural disasters and

man-made disasters. Natural disasters are those which are related to meteorological, geo-tectonic

and biological events. Man-made disasters include violent occurrences, which are not natural in

origin.

The second research question; what is a damage assessment? The EAFSOEM student

manual defines a damage assessment as: “A gathering of information related to the impact of an

event, or series of events, on life and property within a defined area.” There are two types of

damage assessments: initial and preliminary.” (EAFSOEM, 2011, p. SM 4-5) FEMA uses a

Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) which is “a joint assessment used to determine the

magnitude and impact of an event's damage” ("FEMA: PDA," 2010). Businessdictionary.com

defines a damage assessment as a “Preliminary but fairly accurate onsite of damage or loss

caused by an accident or natural event before filing a formal claim or disaster declaration.

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Damage assessment records extent of damage, including what can be replaced, restored, or

salvaged, and time required their execution” ("Business," n.d.). The TOB Emergency Operations

Plan defines damage assessment as the conduct of an on scene survey following any disaster to

determine the amount of loss or damage caused by the incident. (Town of Bedford, NH

[TOBNH], 2010)

“An immediate damage assessment is a rapid estimate of damage at a specific incident

site or within an incident area. The immediate damage assessment is made on the initial arrival at

the incident site or area. The information obtained during the immediate damage assessment is

used for a variety of purposes during the active phase of the incident or event” (EAFSOEM,

2011, p. SM 4-5). The National Fire Protection Association [NFPA] Standard 1600,

Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs (2010), defines damage

assessment as “an appraisal or determination of the effects of the disaster on human, physical,

economic and natural resources.”

The third research question: Why is it important to conduct a damage assessment? When

a disaster strikes a community, the local level response is to provide assistance to the best of its

ability using the available resources. Once the local fire and ems services are overwhelmed by

the extent of damages, the community can then turn to the state for assistance. The state can then

seek federal assistance available under the Robert T. Strafford Disaster Relief and Emergency

Assistance Act (FEMA 322, 2007). McCormick (2010) stated that Damage Assessments (DA)

assist in ordering resources, identifying life safety issues and imminent hazards and set the

foundation for recovery phase.

The information recorded from damage assessments, whether they’re called windshield,

rapid, or immediate assessment, is analyzed by emergency management personnel to: (a) identify

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incident objectives (b) develop strategies and tactics (c) request supplemental assistance and or

resources (d) deploy resources and (e) relay the information to the EOC. (EAFSOEM, 2011, p. 4-

7)

Pitman (2011) explains that DAs conducted in Mid-Atlantic and New England States

after Hurricane and Tropical Storm Irene, estimated damages to be over seven billion dollars.

FEMA needed to divert relief money from funds allocated to rebuilding damage from previous

disasters to Immediate Needs Funding (INF) for the states affected by Irene.

Richard Russell from the Noblesville Fire Department refers to a rapid damage

assessment as a windshield damage assessment (WDA) He stated that one of the benefits of a

WDA is to see how badly a city/town has been damaged and determine which parts are going to

need the most immediate emergency resources. He added that a WDA quickly gives that detailed

information to those in charge of determining how resources should be allocated. For the

information to be beneficial, those individuals need to be able to comprehend that information

accurately (Russell, 2010).

“An immediate damage assessment enables local officials (fire and police chiefs,

emergency managers, town & city elected officials) to determine the severity and magnitude of

the event. The immediate damage assessment quantifies homes and businesses impacted by the

disaster. It is necessary to determine whether local resources will be sufficient to effectively

respond and recover from the event” (EAFSOEM, 2011). Damage assessments must be rapid,

detailed and accurate. Data collected will be analyzed to determine if supplemental assistance

will be needed from the state and/or federal agencies. Delay in completing the damage

assessment may delay supplemental disaster assistance (Ohio PDA, n.d.).

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Siems (2010) stated that when an effective damage assessment is completed in a timely

manner, resources are better managed, leading to more lives saved and better situational

awareness for those leading the rescue efforts.

The information recorded in the damage assessment report is necessary for several purposes:

1. Identify incident objectives 2. Develop strategies and tactics 3. Request additional resources 4. Deploying resources and 5. Relaying the information to the EOC.

Incomplete or delayed damage assessments can cause inappropriate responses and have a

negative effect on emergencies. A delay in completing the assessment may delay assistance to

those most in need. An assessment assures that resources are appropriate to meet the need

(EAFSOEM, 2011, p. 4-7).

The fourth research question asked: how do other fire departments conduct damage

assessments? Russell states, the SCEMD (South Carolina Emergency Management Division)

jurisdiction uses a team concept when performing disaster assessments. Police, Fire and other

city officials are assigned areas by the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) staff. By using a

group of people functioning as a team, they summarize and report the damage assessment

quicker to the EMA, than an individual could. The goal is to decrease the time it takes to assess

an effected area, which in turns, speeds up the mitigation process (Russell, 2010, p.13).

The State of Virginia Department of Emergency Management refers to their disaster

assessment as a Rapid Needs Assessment (RNA). They state that an RNA needs to happen

within the first 24-hours of a disaster. RNAs can be completed by the first responding emergency

vehicle. This method of assessment is also referred to as a windshield assessment. In Virginia,

RNAs happen during the response phase of the disaster activity. As fire and ems crews respond

to an emergency, they observe, record and report any infrastructure damage to the town,

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residential, or private business. RNA results are submitted to the Virginia Emergency Operations

Center (EOC) in a situation report (Virginia Damage Assessment, n.d.).

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department refers to their rapid assessment as a

Rapid Survey Damage Assessment (RSDA). They compare their RSDA to a “primary search” in

a fire situation where the initial assessment is intended to be done rapidly and in a triage manner,

allowing personnel to intervene only when the damage is an immediate life threat or there is a

need to mitigate a significant hazard. The initial survey is completed by fire crews known as

“assessment teams.” These teams travel in pre-established routes where they record and report

conditions. The initial damage phase includes finding and recording the more serious concerns

such as street access, flooding, structural damage, infrastructure and/or related hazards. Once the

pre-established route has been assessed, the damage, which has been recorded on their

department’s Initial Damage Assessment Form, is compiled from all assessment teams and the

information is communicated to the Damage Assessment Group Supervisor via radio, cell phone,

Nextel direct and fax. (Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department [FCFRD], 2004)

Wilson (2010) identified that in order for companies to complete the initial damage

assessments in a timely manner, they may need to bypass fires, structural collapse or other

related emergencies. Companies implementing this “triage” concept will require self-discipline

and firm leadership.

Russell identified the benefits of a rapid damage assessment to be the quick identification

and prioritization of those areas in need of emergency resources. This rapid damage assessment,

referred to as a windshield damage assessment (WDA) also allows the local emergency

management team to see how badly Noblesville has been damaged (Russell, 2010).

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Garcia (2010) stated in his Executive Fire Officer [EFO] Applied Research Project that

the City of Porterville, CA Fire Department was not prepared to conduct DAs. Garcia’s

recommendation for their WDA plan was to involve the community stakeholders including other

city departments, hospitals, the Tulare County Fire Department and non-profit groups to have

input on whom to conduct DAs.

To avoid a duplication of efforts, the Santa Rosa Fire Department organized and divided

the community into geographical areas. These areas were assigned as specific response zones

and each fire station had a responsibility to complete DAs within their assigned jurisdiction

(McCormick, 2010).

Wilson (2010) determined in his ARP, that the Sioux City Fire Department fire

suppression personnel could conduct DAs in their response districts. The placement of fully

staffed fire stations within Sioux City makes a RDA program a reasonable expectation.

Mazza (2009) stated in his ARP, that communities which successfully utilize damage

assessment plans have commonalities such as; specific pre-assigned responsibilities for

conducting DAs, specific time frames to complete the DAs, pre-designated damage assessments,

survey areas or zones, specific desired elements of damage information, effective

communications, and initial and recurrent training.

Though it is obviously advantageous to learn what other fire and rescue services use for

RWDA, there are also procedures and processes within the private sector which can be applied to

help create a comprehensive Fire Department RWDA SOG. Wallace and Webber (2004)

explained that private organizations must have a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) in place to

protect against the negative impacts of a disaster. A survey conducted revealed that almost 50%

of all businesses that suffered damages from a disaster and did not have a DRP in place, never

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reopened for business. They advised that businesses develop a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)

before a disaster occurs.

An often time, the executive of a private business or organization who identifies when a

BCP is needed, is usually referred to as a “sponsor”. The sponsor selects a “Contingency

Planning Coordinator” (CPC). The CPC then selects his or her BCP team. The BCP team

identifies and assigns task, estimates task durations, and then sequences the activities the plan.

Once the BCP is developed, training guidelines are created and the plan is tested (Wallace and

Webber 2004). Wells, Walker and Walker (2007) also identified that disaster recovery and a

BCP are a necessity in all organizations regardless of size. The company’s ability to remain

profitable and viable through a disaster is critical. This organizational flow chart is helpful and

useful when applied to the fire service.

The fifth research question: what documentation information is utilized to record the

damage assessments? FEMA requires that the state impacted by the disaster must first complete

a Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) of the affected area or jurisdiction to verify damage

and estimate the amount of supplemental assistance that will be needed (FEMA 322, 2007, p. 2)

A state’s criteria for requesting FEMA assistance includes a minimum of 25 homes and or

businesses with 49% uninsured damages. Structures with either “destroyed” or “major” damage

will meet the 40% uninsured damages criteria (EAFSOEM, 2011, p. 4-6). There are four

categories used to assess damages:

Destroyed: Structures is greater than 50% destroyed. The structure is not feasible to

repair, has major failure of structural components or is in imminent danger of destruction.

Major (damage): 25% - 50% destroyed. The are major structural damages (walls, roof,

water damage)

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Minor (damage): Less than 50% damage to structure. Building is usable with temporary

repairs.

Affected

The difficulty of conducting an effective DA will vary with size and complexity of the event or

incident (EAFSOEM, 2011, p. 4-7).

: Minimal damage. Building is useable. May have water damage, landscape

damage, and limited access to property.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue uses a Damage Assessment Plan recording four

categories with a 3-point system within each category (FCFRD, 2004).

Street Access: Clear (0), Minor Blockage (1), Major Blockage (2)

Flooding: Limited (1), Moderate (2), Major (3)

Structure Damage: Minimum (1), Significant (2), Destroyed/Uninhabitable (3)

Infrastructure: Limited Area:

New Hampshire, Georgia and Ohio Emergency Management Agencies also use the

national scope of the four categories of damage; destroyed, major, minor and affected. There are

other types of programs that use a classification system including the Federal Department of

Homeland Security program known as the Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT).

They use slight/light damage, moderate damage and heavy damage to classify their findings of

their search and rescue size up. After or in conjunction with the search and rescue size up, a

damage assessment is also performed. CERT personnel must consider estimated amounts of

damage based on the type and age of the construction (Human Technology, Inc. [HTI], 2003).

(1), Moderate Area (2), Widespread Damage (3)

Vernon Poe of Franklin County, Ohio was faced with the challenge of efficiently

collecting and summarizing disaster damage information for 43 separate municipal jurisdictions

and 16 separate school districts within the county. Ultimately, they developed their own

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computer based damage assessment program. The county used Microsoft Excel ® as the

preferred program, due to its ease of use, wide spread accessibility in all municipal jurisdictions

and school districts, and flexibility in designing customized worksheets. Each jurisdiction and

school district had a related worksheet that they completed during and after a disaster. The

damage assessment information collected by the separate jurisdictions was then linked to the

countywide summary worksheet. The countywide summary worksheet provided a quick overall

picture of how much damage occurred in the county (Poe, 2002).

The Town of Bedford is not financially prepared to purchase a computer based

documentation system. At the time of this research paper, Bedford collects information on an

8.5” x 11” piece of paper. That information is either verbally submitted via phone or faxed to the

state EOC in Concord.

The sixth research question: what extent of training will the members of the Bedford Fire

Department need to conduct RWDAs? All members of the Santa Rosa FD receive annual

training on the SRFD damage assessment policy (McCormick, 2010). Jeffrey Siems from the

Edina, Minnesota Fire Department recommended that a PDA policy or guideline needs to be

simple so that a fire officer will be able to collect data with minimal training and without a

manual in the field. (Siems, 2010)

Szakacs (2009) explained that there must be clear, identifiable elements in an RWDA

plan. He states that a clear and concise RWDA plan will enable firefighters to perform their

duties more efficiently. Russell (2010) stated that fire personnel need to know and understand

what the categories of damages are in a DA. He also advised departments that are developing a

RWDA policy/procedure to use the FEMA criteria for estimating damage. This will allow for

ease and consistency for FEMA.

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Armstrong (2009) identified that fire department members should conduct an annual

tabletop exercise to review and evaluate the damage assessment policy/procedure.

Armstrong (2009), McCormick (2010), Siems (2010), and Szakacs (2009) all advised that

fire and ems companies need to be familiar with conducting RWDAs in their assigned districts.

Each of the Bedford Fire Department lieutenants is currently responsible for one of the four

predetermined districts. Because the Lieutenants are responsible for conducting life-safety fire

inspections within these areas for a period of two years, they are familiar with the properties and

infrastructures within each area. This inspection district assignment information can be added to

the RWDA procedure for the Bedford Fire Department. This will reduce the time needed to train

the officers on the specifics and concerns of the properties and infrastructures within the town.

The Town of Bedford has also been assigned a field representative from the NH Bureau

of Emergency Management who is very familiar with DAs and RNAs and they have offered to

provide an in-service training on how to conduct an RWDA. Based on the findings of the

previously mentioned fire service personnel, training for implementation of an RWDA should be

short, specific, organized and consistent.

Procedures

This project initially began at the National Fire Academy (NFA) and the NFA Learning

Resource Center (LRC) while this researcher attended the Executive Analysis of Fire Service

Operations in Emergency Management (EAFSOEM) course in March/April 2011. This action

research project was designed with the intention to gather and analyze information from subject

matter experts within New Hampshire and from around the country. The goal of this project is to

develop a draft of a rapid windshield damage assessment standard operating guideline. The

researcher selected the subject of damage assessment after attending the EAFSOEM course and

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realizing the value of creating and adopting a local RWDA guideline. Due to the quantity and

intensity of the natural disasters within the researcher’s community, having an RWDA Standard

Operating Guideline would allow for timely reports of destruction allowing for safer responses

for fire and ems crews as well as simplifying the process of collecting and reporting data for state

and federal resources. .

Information was gathered through research conducted at NFA LRC, World Wide Web

(www.), FEMA documents and articles, as well as various books and periodicals. Established

damage assessment policies and procedures from various federal, state and local emergency

management agencies were also researched, Additional information was gathered from Applied

Research Projects (APR) as well as personal interviews. This ARP was formatted using the sixth

edition of the American Psychological Association (APA).

The action methodology was utilized to answer the following questions: What is a

disaster to a community? What is a damage assessment? Why is it important to conduct a

damage assessment? How do other fire departments conduct damage assessments? What

information is documented and used to record the damage assessment? What type of training do

Bedford fire personnel need to be provided, in order to accurately conduct a RWDA?

A survey medium was developed utilizing Survey Monkey® (www.surveymonkey.com)

to gather and analyze the survey data. The researcher sent the email survey to current EFO

students (with whom the researcher attended class) who are currently working at fire

departments in various geographic locations within the United States. These previous classmates

live in diverse locations and have experienced a wide array of disaster events. The disasters that

these survey participants experienced include, but are not limited too; hurricanes, floods,

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tornados, ice storms, earth quakes, and wildland fires. This information was ascertained prior to

the distribution of surveys, through conversations with classmates during attendance at the NFA.

A letter to survey participants explaining the research was emailed in September 2011.

(Appendix A) The survey was emailed in September 1, 2011 (Out of State Fire Departments

Appendix C). The researcher also sent the survey to New Hampshire Fire Departments

participants in October 2011 (Appendix B). The survey was linked to a participant’s specific

email address. Upon the expiration of the NH fire departments survey, a total of seventeen

surveys were completed out of twenty-seven requested participants. “Out of State Fire

Department” surveys yielded a total of twenty-two completed surveys out of forty-one

participants.

The researcher also conducted personal interviews with local fire service personnel and

Emergency Management officials. Open-ended interview questions were asked in an effort to

allow for elaboration by the interviewee. Not all interviewees were affiliated with the fire service

and their experiences were vast and varied. The results of the initial literature review provided

the researcher questions and general reference ideas that were a necessity when meeting with the

subject matter experts.

The researcher conducted a personal interview with NH Homeland Security and

Emergency Management (NHHSEM) Senior Field Representative (SFR) Jack Moorhouse

(personal communications August 24, 2011) at the Bedford Safety Complex. SFR Moorhouse is

the assigned NHHSEM SFR for the Bedford Fire Department in Hillsborough County. SFR

Moorhouse is very well versed in disaster response, communications and documentation. He

understands the documentation process that is needed for the local municipalities and

24

communities as they seek to recover from and be financially reimbursed due to the damages

caused by disasters.

Mr. Moorhouse stated that the information received by first responders during and

immediately after a major weather event, is vital for the state EOC. He also stated that damage

assessment information received from the first responders to the EOC helps NH Emergency

Management (NH EM) start the documentation process for the governor requesting federal

assistance under the Strafford Act. Mr. Moorhouse advised against creating a new RWDA form

and recommended using the document forms that already exist as they have been proven to work

efficiently. The NH EM has forms already in place for damage assessments. He encouraged the

researcher to utilize the categories on the form as the information is consistent with state and

federal DA forms.

A personal interview was conducted with Chief Richard O’Brien from the Goffstown,

NH Fire Department (GFD) (personal communications September 13, 2011) after the researcher

was informed that GFD has the Town of Goffstown Community Emergency Response Team

(CERT) conducts PDAs for the community. Chief O’Brien stated after the 2008 ice storm and

2009 wind storm disasters, the GFD emergency response staffing was at an absolute minimum.

This was due to the fact that most of his firefighters living outside of the community could not

respond for station coverage. In 2009, the Town of Goffstown decided that the CERT team

would be better suited to conduct DAs as its team members are town residents and are not as

likely to have road hazards to impede them from responding to the station during a disaster.

Chief O’Brien also stated that he has since trained his firefighters in damage assessment as a

back-up resource to the CERT team.

25

Chief Dan MacDonald of the New Boston Fire Department (NBFD) stated that he had the

NH Emergency Management conduct a four hour class on DAs for his department back in 2010

(personal communications September 22, 2011). Chief MacDonald stated that with all the

disasters including the flooding, ice storm, and the wind storms, he needed to educate his

members on damage assessment so they could collect the information needed for the EOC. The

researcher asked Chief MacDonald if the NBFD had a SOP or SOG on conducting windshield

damage assessments. Chief stated at this time there is no SOG but would be interested in the

researcher’s draft policy.

The results of this applied research had some limitations. There is adequate amount of

literature on damage assessment, but the majority of the DA information/data was from other

agencies outside of New Hampshire. The researcher intentionally utilized a specific group of

recipients/departments to participate in the survey. The survey web site was specific to a

participant’s email address. Limitation of the external survey was that the contact information

used was that which was gathered during the EFO classes of 2009 and 2011. Of the 41 surveys

sent, only 22 completed the survey. This may have been a result of outdated contact information.

Another limitation not known to the researcher was: did the actual recipients have cable

or dial up internet access in order to receive the survey? The researcher assumed that in this

modern day and time that an individual in a fire management position would have internet

access. It was the assumed that because all of the requested survey participants were senior fire

officers, that they would have prior knowledge and experience with damage assessment.

The results of this survey were limited because they were conducted anonymously and

therefore, demographics were not a part of the survey. This survey process did not allow for

26

review of individual survey results. They were only available as a quantified collection of

returned data so the researcher was unable to determine how much experience a participant had.

Results

The results of this ARP were obtained from literature review, survey results and personal

communications. The results of the survey can be reviewed in Appendix B and C. The surveys

were emailed to 27 NH fire department participants and 41 out of state fire department

participants.

The first research question; what is a disaster to a community? “A disaster is a natural or

man-made hazard that has come to fruition, resulting in an event of substantial extent causing

significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment. A

disaster can be ostensibly defined as any tragic event with great loss stemming from events such

as earthquake, floods, catastrophic accident, fires, or explosions” (Wikipedia, 2011).

A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a

community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that

exceed the community’s or society’s ability to cope using its own resources. Though often

caused by nature, disasters can have human origins (IFRCRCS, 2011).

In the private sector, Wallace and Webber (2004) classified a disaster for a business as

the loss of a critical piece of equipment due to a natural disaster (fire, tornado, and blizzard)

which could negatively impact a facility. Every business should have a Business Continuity Plan,

so that a company can quickly recover from whatever type of disaster may strike. Wells, Walker

and Walker (2007) also identified a disaster for a business as being anything from a small

malfunction of a piece of vital equipment (mailing machine, computer system/server, or phone

system) to a total destruction of a building.

27

The second question asked; what is a damage assessment? “Damage assessment is a

gathering of information related to the impact of an event, or series of events, on life and

property within a defined area. There are two types of damage assessments: initial and

preliminary.” (EAFSOEM, 2011, p. SM 4-5) FEMA’s definition is the following: The

Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) is a joint assessment used to determine the magnitude

and impact of an event's damage (FEMA: PDA, 2010). An immediate damage assessment is a

rapid estimate of damage at a specific site within an incident area. The immediate damage

assessment is made on the initial arrival at the incident site or area. The information obtained

during the immediate damage assessment is used for a variety of purposes during the active

phase of the incident or event (EAFSOEM, 2011, p. SM 4-5). The survey response from 41% of

the NH fire departments state that their company officers know what a damage assessment is

compared to 45.5 % of out-of-state departments officers who don’t know what a DA is.

The third research question; why is it important to conduct a rapid damage assessment?

An immediate damage assessment enables local officials (fire and police chiefs, emergency

managers, town & city elected officials) to determine the severity and magnitude of the event.

The DA quantifies homes and businesses impacted by the disaster (EAFSOEM, 2011). DA

determines whether local resources will be sufficient to effectively respond and recover from the

event. Damage Assessments must be rapid, detailed and accurate. Data collected will be

analyzed to determine if supplemental assistance will be needed from the state and/or federal

agencies. Delay in completing the DA may interrupt supplemental disaster assistance. (Ohio

PDA, n.d.)

Regardless of the scope of a disaster, the affected communities and or state, they often

need the assistance of the federal government. This assistance is available under the Robert T.

28

Strafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (FEMA 322, 2007). Mr. Jack

Moorhouse, NHEM Senior field rep (personal interview, 2011) stated that the information

received by first responders during and immediately after a major weather event is vital for the

state EOC. He also stated that damage assessment information received from the first responders

to the EOC helps NH Emergency Management (NH EM) start the documentation process for the

governor to request federal assistance under the Strafford Act.

The fourth research question: how do other fire departments conduct rapid damage

assessments? Russell (2010) states, that the SCEMD jurisdiction in Indiana uses a team concept

when performing DAs. Police, Fire and other city officials are assigned areas by the Emergency

Management Agency (EMA) staff. By using a group of people functioning as a team they

summarize and report the DA quicker to the EMA, than an individual could. The goal is to

decrease the time it takes to assess an affected area, which in turn, speeds up the mitigation

process. Fairfax County uses a similar team concept. Following the guidelines of the Incident

Command System (ICS), a Damage Assessment Group Supervisor is pre-appointed. The

Damage Assessment Team is comprised of units not affected by the event. These units are then

assigned to impacted areas to begin DAs. (FRD-416) (FCFRD, 2004)

Garcia (2010) identified that the City of Porterville, CA Fire Department was not

prepared to conduct DAs. Garcia’s recommendation for their WDA plan was to get the

community stakeholders involved through public education programs. This community action

will bring awareness and preparedness to the citizens of Poterville therefore reducing

complacency.

McCormick (2010) noted that the Santa Rosa Fire Department divided the community

into geographical areas to accommodate the division of labor. Wilson (2010) recommended that

29

the Sioux City Fire Department fire suppression personnel conduct DAs in their response

districts. The placement of fully staffed fire stations within Sioux City makes a RDA program a

reasonable expectation.

Mazza (2009) stated in his ARP, that communities which utilize damage assessment

plans have commonalities such as; specific pre-assigned responsibilities for conducting DAs,

specific times frames to complete them, pre-designated damage assessments survey areas or

zones, specific desired elements of damage information, effective communications, and finally

initial and recurrent training.

Survey results indicated the 76.5 % of NH fire departments used a rapid windshield

damage assessment process without having a recognized RWDA procedure. Only 40.9% of out-

of-state departments used an RWDA system without having a formal guideline or procedure.

Surveys indicated that 81.3% of NH departments using fire and EMS companies to conduct

RWDAs responded that it was beneficial to have designated districts. The survey responses

from out-of-state departments indicated that 66% favored the use of fire and ems companies to

conduct RWDAs due to the rapid information gathering.

The fifth research question asked: What documentation is utilized to record the damage

assessment? The state that is affected by the disaster must first complete a Preliminary Damage

Assessment of the affected area or jurisdiction to verify damage and estimate the amount of

supplemental assistance that will be needed (FEMA 322, 2007, p. 2) In order to request

assistance from FEMA, a state must have a minimum of 25 homes and/or businesses with 49%

uninsured damages. Structures with either “destroyed” or “major” damage will meet the 40%

uninsured damages criteria (EAFSOEM, 2011, p. 4-6). There are four categories used to assess

damages:

30

Destroyed: Structures is greater than 50% destroyed. The structure is not feasible to

repair, has major failure of structural components or is in imminent danger of destruction.

Major (damage): 25% - 50% destroyed. The are major structural damages (walls, roof,

water damage)

Minor (damage): Less than 50% damage to structure. Building is usable with temporary

repairs.

Affected

The difficulty of conducting an effective DA will vary with size and complexity of the

event or incident (EAFSOEM, 2011, p. 4-7)

: Minimal damage. Building is useable. May have water damage, landscape

damage, and limited access to property.

FCFRD (2004) Damage Assessment Plan uses four categories with a 3-point system

within each category:

Street Access: Clear (0), Minor Blockage (1), Major Blockage (2)

Flooding: Limited (1), Moderate (2), Major (3)

Structure Damage: Minimum (1), Significant (2), Destroyed/Uninhabitable (3)

Infrastructure: Limited Area:

NH Homeland Security and NH Bureau of Emergency Management use two PDA forms

for documentation and data collection. The two forms are the Preliminary Damage Assessment

for Individual Assistance (Appendix E) and the Damage Assessment for Public Assistance Form

(Appendix F).

Limited Area (1), Moderate Area (2), Widespread

Damage (3)

The NH Homeland Security & EM: Preliminary Assessment for Individual Assistance

(Appendix E). The purpose of this form is to collect the necessary data to conduct State/FEMA

31

Preliminary Damage Assessment. The information collected is based on property damage for

homeowners and renters, this form has six damage categories:

A. Affected

B. Minor

C. Major

D. Destroyed

E. Inaccessible

F. Small Business Administration

The NH Homeland Security & EM: Preliminary Assessment for Public Assistance

(Appendix F). There are six categories that need a brief description with a dollar amount.

A. Debris Clearance

B. Protective Measures

C. Road System

D. Water Control Facilities

E. Buildings and Equipment

Public Utility Systems

Mr. Moorhouse advised against creating a new RWDA form and recommended using the

document forms that already exist as they have been proven to work efficiently. The NHBEM

has forms already in place for damage assessments. He encouraged the researcher to utilize the

categories on the form as the information is consistent with state and federal DA forms. The NH

department survey indicated that 75% of the departments acknowledge the importance of having

a RWDA program for company officers. Similarly, 76% of the out-of-state responses claimed

that having an RWDA program in place for company officers is important.

32

The final research question: What type of training do Bedford fire personnel need to be

provided to conduct a rapid and accurate windshield damage assessment? Of those survey

participants from NH, 58% indicated that a four hour in-service session on conducting RWDAs

would be sufficient to train a company officer. Of those surveys completed from the out-of-state

participants, 61.1% indicated that four hours of RWDA training would be sufficient to train

company officers. Given this survey results, Bedford Fire personnel would be instructed on

performing RWDAs in a four hour training program.

Upon review of past applied research projects, it appears that this training session would

be most effective if it included information and instruction on how to collect and classify data

according to the FEMA damage assessment categories. This training would include a table top

exercise utilizing the FEMA websites, pictures from previous weather related disasters, along

with instruction on how to complete the specific forms for the NH Homeland Security &

Emergency Management Preliminary Damage Assessment for Individual and Public Assistance.

It should be simple, consistent and thorough. This RWDA training could be conducted annually

with an opportunity to review, evaluate and revise the implemented Standard Operating

Guideline.

This would be a collaborative training between the Bedford Fire Department and the NH

Bureau of Emergency Management. The general instructions for the RWDA SOG would be

provided by the BFD training division with supplemental instruction provided by the NH Bureau

of Emergency Management assigned field representative.

Discussion

In reviewing the abundance of DA information from the EAFSOEM class, internet

sources, Learning Resource Center (LRC) material, surveys and personal interviews, it is clear

33

that there is a need for the Bedford Fire Department to create and adopt a written RWDA SOG .

The sources all agreed that regardless of what it is formally titled, a standard operating guideline

which mandates a detailed and consistent practice is an important tool for those assigned with

carrying out the task of performing damage assessments.

An RWDA is an information gathering tool for first responders. Armstrong (2009),

McCormick (2010), Siems (2010), and Szakacs (2009) all recommended in their ARPs that fire

and ems companies need to be familiar with conducting RWDAs in their assigned districts.

McCormick (2010) and Wilson (2010) both explained the organizational benefits of

dividing the entire area in need of a rapid windshield disaster assessment, into smaller and more

manageable divisions. Bedford Fire Department responds to emergencies from one central

station. Bedford’s fire officers already know that the town is divided into four inspection districts

and each lieutenant is responsible for conducting fire life safety inspection one of those four

districts.

Recovery and outside assistance depends on the quality of the RWDA. Having an RWDA

SOG in place is instrumental to the overall success of the operations. Regardless of the scope of

a disaster, the affected communities and/or state, often need the assistance of the Federal

government. This assistance is available under the Robert T. Strafford Disaster Relief and

Emergency Assistance Act (FEMA 322, 2007). Mr. Jack Moorhouse, NHEM Senior field rep

(personal interview, 2011) stated that the damage assessment information collected by first

responders during and immediately after a major event is vital for the state. Which, also helps

NH Emergency Management (NH EM) start the documentation process for the governor to

request federal assistance under the Strafford Act.

34

Mr. Moorhouse recommended using the New Hampshire Homeland Security & NH

Emergency Management documentation forms that already exist, as they have been proven to

work effectively and efficiently in past disasters. The NHBEM has forms already in place for

damage assessments. He encouraged the researcher to utilize the categories on the form as the

information is consistent with state and federal DA forms.

Similar to 76.5% of NH survey participants and 40.9% of out-of-state participants,

Bedford currently conducts RWDAs without a standard guideline. With 81.3% of NH survey

participants currently conducting RWDAs using specifically assigned smaller districts within

their community, the Bedford Fire Department will find the concept of district responsibility a

familiar one. Having already delineated inspection districts to each lieutenant, this would easily

allow Bedford Fire personnel to transition into a jurisdictional type of operation when

conducting RWDAs.

After reviewing the form for the NH Emergency Management Damage Assessment for

Public Assistance as well as the form for the NH Homeland Security & Emergency Management

Preliminary Assessment for Individual Assistance, the researcher concurs with Mr. Moorhouse

that using existing forms will benefit the Bedford Fire Department and make implementation of

the RWDA SOG consistent and thorough. This uniformed process of reporting, recording and

documentation between the Bedford Fire Department and the NH Emergency Management, will

allow for training between the departments to be easier.

Based upon the information reviewed, the research conducted and personal interviews, it

would be beneficial for Bedford Fire Department to create, adopt and implement a RWDA SOG.

The standard operating guideline should be a detailed document which is accessible for all fire

personnel. This SOG should be reviewed periodically for training purposes and allow for

35

evaluation and revision. The Bedford Fire Department should adopt the damage reporting forms

currently used by the NH Homeland Security and Emergency Management. All fire department

personnel will train on how to fill them out appropriately. These forms will then be stored on all

of the emergency vehicles so they will be readily available. Training on the SOG and the use of

the forms should be conducted at least annually through classroom instruction and table-top

scenario based exercises.

Currently, BFD does not conduct RWDAs in a consistent and effective manner. A

method to define a disaster and then subsequently and efficiently identify and report any

destruction, does not exist in the BFD. Upon adoption and implementation of the

recommendations created by this ARP, Bedford will be more effective in responding and

mitigating the effects of the disaster. The implications of the results of this research undoubtedly

will have a great impact on the Bedford Fire Department today and well into the future.

Recommendations

The research indicates that the Bedford Fire Department needs to develop and implement

a Rapid Windshield Damage Assessment SOG (Appendix D) in order for BFD personnel to

effectively conduct DAs. The components of the SOG need to address the process determining

the roles and responsibility for personnel, establish which apparatus will be used to conduct the

RWDA, ascertain which documentation will be used throughout the process, clarify how and

where the documentation will be processed upon completion.

Once the Bedford Fire Chief approves the RWDA SOG, the initial training of personnel

will be conducted under the direction of the Bedford Fire Department Deputy Chief of

Operations and Training.

36

The first recommendation is to develop a draft of an RWDA SOG (Appendix D). This

will include the events needed to be completed during, as well as following, the occurrence of a

disaster. Once adopted, the SOG should be placed into the Bedford Fire Department Standard

Operating Guideline and Procedure manual. All personnel will have access to the SOG for

periodical review and reference. The implementation of the SOG is expected to provide guidance

for the Bedford Fire personnel to follow and will provide clear expectations on how this process

will be done quickly, efficiently and uniformly within the department.

The second recommendation is that the BFD adopt the NH Homeland Security and

Emergency Management damage assessment forms. (Appendix E & F) and attach them to the

SOG. These two documents are those onto which the RWDA data will be recorded. These forms

will allow response personnel to know exactly which damage assessment information the State

of NH EOC is seeking. Using these documents allows for consistency with state and federal

agencies, throughout the process. These forms should be readily available on all department

apparatus and in the dayroom file cabinet with all of the other important and current department

forms.

The third recommendation is to have the Bedford Fire Chief present the RWDA SOG to

the Bedford Town Council and seek approval from the council for adoption of the SOG as an

Appendix to the Town of Bedford Emergency Operations Plan and the All Hazards Mitigation

Plan. This approval will allow for other town agencies to understand how RWDAs are conducted

within the town.

The fourth and final recommendation is that the Bedford Fire Department, in a

collaborative effort with the NH Department of Homeland Security and Emergency

Management, develop and conduct a damage assessment training program for all department

37

personnel. Personnel will be trained to understand and correctly practice the methods and proper

procedures for conducting a damage assessment. Personnel will also be taught the proper

utilization of the required documentation provided by the NH Homeland Security and

Emergency Management. Classroom training shall be conducted annually for all personnel under

the discretion of the Bedford Deputy Chief of Operations and Training. Furthermore, scenario-

based tabletop exercises will be conducted with the EM Field representative each year. This

SOG will be assessed and revised as needed during the yearly training.

There exists great potential for natural and man-made disasters to occur in Bedford, NH

many communities throughout the United States will be able to draw parallels to the

problems/issues identified in this ARP. Therefore, future readers and researchers of the

Executive Fire Officer program can benefit from conducting research in their own departments

regarding the current guideline/procedures for conducting damage assessments.

38

References

2010 New Hampshire Wind Storm. (2010). Retrieved from

http://www.psnhnews.com//pdfs/2010_WindStormReport_final.pdf

Armstrong, J. A. (2009). Development of a rapid damage assessment for the Roanoke Fire-EMS

Department engine companies. Retrieved from FEMA: National Fire Academy, Learning

Resource Center: http://www.lrc.fema.gov/efop.html

Business dictionary: Damage assessment. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/damage-assessment.html

Disaster damage assessment (PowerPoint Slides). (n.d.). Retrieved from Virginia.gov:

http://portal.virginia.gov/information_links/VIADisasterDamageAssessmentPart1=05140

7.pdf

Dosi, C. (2001). Environmental values, valuation methods, and natural disaster damage

assessment. Santiago, Chile: United Nations Publication.

EMA Preliminary damage assessment Field guide (PowerPoint Slides). (n.d.). Retrieved from

Ohio.gov: http://ema.ohio.gov/documents/drb/PDAFieldguide.pdf

Executive analysis of fire service operations in emergency management student manual. (2011).

Retrieved from National Fire Academy, Emmitsburg, MD

Executive fire officer program, Operational policies and procedures, Applied research

guidelines. (2011). In Executive fire officer program Operational policies and procedures

Applied research guidelines (p. II-2). Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy

FEMA: New Hampshire State Disaster History. (2011). Retrieved from

http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=10388

39





FEMA: Preliminary damage assessment. (2010). Retrieved from

http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/pr_pda.shtm

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. (2004). Fairfax County fire and rescue department

operations Emergency operations plan Damage assessment plan (Plan). Emmitsburg,

MD: United States Fire Administration, National Fire Academy.

Garcia, M. G. (2010). Is a downstream damage assessment appropriate for the community of

Porterville? (Applied Research Paper). Retrieved from FEMA: National Fire Academy,

Learning Resource Center: http://www.lrc.fema.gov/efop.html

Governor Lynch Declares State of Emergency. (2011). Retrieved from

http://www.governor.nh.gov/media/news/2011/082611-state-of-emergency.htm

Human Technology, Inc. (2003). Community emergency response team: Student manual.

McLean, VA: DHS: USFA, EMI.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: What is a disaster? (2011).

Retrieved from http://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/disaster-management/about-

disasters/what-is-a-disaster/

Mazza, S. L. (2009). Initial damage assessment criteria and procedures for the City of Monterey,

California. Retrieved from FEMA: National Fire Academy, Learning Resource Center:

http://www.lrc.fema.gov/efop.html

40

McCormick, M. (2010). Development of a rapid damage assessment procedure for the City of

Santa Rosa Fire Department. Retrieved from FEMA: National Fire Academy, Learning


New Hampshire Department of Safety: Homeland Security & Emergency Management . (2009).

December 11-12 2008 Ice storm state response after action report. Retrieved from New

Hampshire Department of Safety Homeland Security & Emergency Management

Website:

http://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/hsem/documents/dec08_icestorm_after_action_report

.pdf

Pittman, E. (Ed.). (2011, September/October). Irene’s Wrath. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT,

Volume 6 (Issue 5), 56.

Poe, V. E. (2002, May). Many jurisdictions: Making damage assessment come together [IAEM

Bulletin]. International Association of Emergency Managers, 8, 12.

Public assistance Public assistance guide FEMA 322. (2007). Washington, DC: FEMA.

Russell, IV, R. J. (2010). Windshield damage assessment procedures (Applied Research Paper).

Retrieved from FEMA: National Fire Academy, Learning Resource Center:

http://www.lrc.fema.gov/efop.html

Siems, J. W. (2010). Development of a rapid damage assessment guideline for the Edina Fire

Department (Applied Research Paper). Retrieved from FEMA: National Fire Academy,


Szakacs, T. C. (2009). Establishing damage assessment criteria for the Holland Fire Department

(Applied Research Paper). Retrieved from FEMA: National Fire Academy, Learning


41

Town of Bedford, NH. (2010). Town of Bedford; Emergency operations plan (Operations Plan).

Town of Bedford, NH: Town of Bedford.

URS Group, Inc. (2008, July). Independent evaluation of recent flooding in New Hampshire.

Contract No. HSFEHQ-06-D-0162 (FEMA). Washington, DC: FEMA.

Wallace, M., & Webber, L. (2004). The disaster recovery handbook A step-by-step-plan to

ensure business continuity and protect vital operations, facilities and assets. New York,

NY: AMACOM.

Wells, A. J., Walker, C., & Walker, T. (2007). Disaster recovery Principles and practices. Upper

Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Wikipedia: Disaster. (2011). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster

Wilson, R. S. (2010). Developing a damage assessment process for the Sioux City Fire

Department (Applied Research Paper). Retrieved from FEMA: National Fire Academy,


42

Appendix A: Letter to Survey Participants

September 1, 2011 EFO Program Students ED September/October 2009 class EAFSOEM March/April 2011 class Ref: Rapid Windshield Damage Assessment for Engine/Ambulance Companies Hello, The Bedford Fire Department is interested in implementing a rapid (windshield) damage assessment SOG. The guideline would include a damage assessment survey form to be filled out by company officers and or senior firefighters. I am conducting this survey to learn what experiences emergency responders have with natural or man-made disasters, the Damage Assessment (DA) process, and your prospective on the ways the DA process can be optimized. You’re being asked to participate because you are a first responder and have a likely history of preparing for or engaging in disaster response. Please complete this anonymous survey, should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete. Surveymonkey has linked the windshield damage assessment survey to your email address. If you would like to receive a copy of my survey results, please send me an email. Your answers will help the Bedford Fire Department (BFD) in the development of a Rapid Windshield Damage Assessment SOG. This will also increase the knowledge and expertise for BFD members responding to areas damaged by a natural or man-made disaster. If you have any questions regarding this survey or my ARP project, please feel free to contact me. My contact information is below. Here is a link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=dXMfbU4jCm07n_2fSeWewr0Q_3d_3d Thank you for participating in this survey. Sincerely, Mark E. Klose, Deputy Chief of Operations and Training Bedford Fire Department Bedford, NH 03110 603-792-1372 [email protected]

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=dXMfbU4jCm07n_2fSeWewr0Q_3d_3d�

43

Appendix B: New Hampshire Fire Department Survey Results

56

Appendix C: Out of State Fire Department Survey Results

67

Appendix D: Bedford Fire Department Draft Rapid Windshield Damage Assessment SOG

BEDFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT BEDFORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE

STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE

SOG #: OPS Date: 2012 Topic: Fire Operations Effective Date: 2013 Subject: Rapid Windshield Damage Assessment

Revision Date:

Authorizing Signature: Page 1 of 2

Background: In order for the Bedford Fire Department to respond during a disaster event, a Rapid Windshield Damage Assessment will be conducted. Fire and Ems companies will assess, document and communicate the findings of the RWDA to the EOC, as soon as it is feasible Purpose: To identify and collect appropriate data on the damage to the town infrastructure during/following a disaster event. Scope: Bedford Fire personnel are expected to ensure understanding of, compliance with and enforcement of this guideline. Implementation:

1. During or immediately following a major disaster event, the on-duty OIC shall contact either the Deputy Chief and or the Chief of the Department stating weather conditions or emergency conditions which are impacting the community..

2. The on-duty OIC shall request a manpower “general tone” for call back station/event

coverage. Based on facts, observations, intelligence, National Weather Service, and /or credible reports of threats, the Deputy Chief or Chief will have the discretion to order additional manpower to be re-called for station coverage.

3. Requests for any fire department response will be forwarded to the Operations OIC

who will prioritize calls until the EOC is staffed.

4. The Town of Bedford Emergency Operation Center shall open (second floor of the Bedford Safety Complex) and shall be staffed by fire department and police personnel until properly relieved by Town of Bedford EOC personnel.

68

BEDFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT BEDFORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE

STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE

SOG #: OPS Date: 2012 Topic: Fire Operations Effective Date: 2013 Subject: Rapid Windshield Damage Assessment

Revision Date:

Authorizing Signature: Page 2 of 2

5. At the discretion of the Operations OIC, Bedford engines, truck and ambulance shall

be utilized to conduct rapid windshield damage assessments in a safe and efficient manner.

6. Company Officers will conduct RWDA in their assigned inspection districts (1 thru

4). As additional resources become available, the Operations OIC can assign additional RWDA units to each company officer to assist.

7. All RWDA information will be documented on the NH Homeland Security and

Emergency Management forms.

8. The Operations OIC and the apparatus company officer have the authority to make changes and adjustments to damage assessment plans due to the nature of the incident/event.

9. After completion of the company officers assigned inspection district, the Company

Officer shall contact the Operations OIC and notify him/her of their status and wait for re-assignment. Company Officers shall be prepared to complete RWDA in other company inspection districts that may be more severely damaged.

10. RWDA forms will be given to the Operations OIC. Once reviewed for accuracy, the

Operations OIC will deliver the hard copy forms to the EOC on the second floor.

11. RWDA information collected will become part of the official Town of Bedford EOC record. This documentation will be used to request additional resources and aid from the State of NH EOC.

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Appendix E: NH Homeland Security & Emergency Management PDA for IA Form

New Hampshire Homeland Security & Emergency Management Preliminary Damage Assessment for Individual Assistance

The purpose of this document is to collect the necessary data to conduct a State/FEMA Individual Assistance Preliminary Damage Assessment. The data collected should be based on the property damage of the homeowners and renters in your community, as well as the economic loss and property damage of the businesses.

Municipality: ___________________ County: ___________________ Date: ________________________ Community Contact: ___________________ Telephone Number: ____________________________

A. AFFECTED

Number and type of household: Uninsured Insured _______ Owner _______ _______ Renter _______ _______ Secondary _______

B. MINOR


C. MAJOR


D. DESTROYED


E. INACCESSABLE _____ Residential properties that have been deemed physically inaccessible by the

homeowner or local official. F. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

_____ Businesses with economic loss ______ Businesses with structural damage

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Appendix F: NH Homeland Security & Emergency Management PDA for PA Form

New Hampshire Homeland Security & Emergency Management

Preliminary Damage Assessment for Public Assistance

Provide a brief description of damages with a dollar amount in each category.

Task: Record community and contact information; Record major areas of damage and compute a dollar amount in each category.

Political Subdivision Assessment Team Date Community Contact Telephone Number

A. DEBRIS CLEARANCE

B. PROTECTIVE MEASURES

C. ROAD SYSTEM

D. WATER CONTROL FACILITIES

E. BUILDINGS and EQUIPMENT

F. PUBLIC UTILITY SYSTEMS

development of a rapid windshield damage assessment

Documents